During one of my gardening talks a few years ago, I shared a quick trick to remove chickweed using a table fork, twisting the plants out like spaghetti. One woman raised her hand and asked, “Do you realize you’re destroying your food and medicine?” It was a valid point, as chickweed (Stellaria media) is not only nutritious but also offers several health benefits. Chickweed tea, for example, is known to slow fat absorption and may support weight management.
Chickweed is a common cool-season weed found in garden beds in mild winter climates. It forms dense, green carpets over the soil and thrives in cultivated areas. Though chickens will nibble on chickweed occasionally, they don’t consume it enough to control its spread. In my garden, despite the chickens’ presence, there is always plenty of chickweed left to compost or blend into smoothies. If left unchecked, chickweed can produce thousands of seeds.
While initially frustrating, I’ve learned to embrace chickweed, along with its fellow winter weeds—bittercress and henbit. Unlike aggressive summer weeds like crabgrass, winter weeds are generally easier to manage, and their shallow roots help prevent soil erosion during the colder months.
Bittercress: A Tasty Winter Weed
Hairy bittercress (Cardamine hirsuta) is among the tastiest of winter weeds, with finely lobed leaves arranged in a symmetrical rosette. While it’s often foraged in spring, bittercress can be found year-round, especially in gardens during the winter months. These cool-season plants have a mild flavor reminiscent of watercress and can be used as a parsley substitute in dishes or pureed into pesto.
Bittercress typically waits until spring to flower, producing white blossoms. These shallow-rooted plants are easy to pull up when they begin to bloom. In some regions, bittercress serves as a trap crop for aphids, helping to control the pest population. Pulling and composting aphid-infested plants can eliminate hundreds of these sap-sucking insects.
Even in freezing temperatures, bittercress remains edible. To ensure a steady winter supply, I cover my bittercress patches with row covers or garden fleece to protect the plants from extreme cold and allow them to thrive through the season.
Henbit and Dead Nettle: Pollinator-Friendly Weeds
In my garden, I grow two species of Lamium: henbit (Lamium amplexicaule) and dead nettle (Lamium purpureum). These plants sprout in the fall and form small rosettes by winter. In early spring, they bloom and serve as an essential nectar source for pollinators, especially bees, which rely on the flowers to kick-start their reproductive cycles. Henbit is particularly attractive to bumblebees, which use their long tongues to access the nectar deep inside the tubular flowers. In Japan, henbit is often allowed to bloom near fruit orchards to provide pollinators with an early food source.
Although henbit and dead nettles are often mistaken for nettles, they don’t sting, making them safer to handle. These plants not only hold soil in place during winter storms but also produce a colorful spring display when they bloom in unison. Large patches of henbit make a stunning wildflower show. They can be easily mowed or pulled before they set seed to prevent unwanted spread.
Embracing Winter Weeds
While I certainly enjoy cultivated greens like spinach and kale, I’ve come to appreciate the value of cold-hardy weeds like chickweed, bittercress, and henbit. These weeds not only offer nutritional and ecological benefits but also support the local ecosystem by attracting pollinators and preventing soil erosion. By embracing these hardy plants, gardeners can maintain a more resilient and diverse garden throughout the winter months.